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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Dear Vivaldi:

Beth Ann

Veteran

Dearest Signor Vivaldi:
I am writing to formally request the addition of two movements to your brilliant work The Seasons. While I am in awe of your ability to bring the Creation (apologies to Hadyn) to life, particularly "Winter," given your residence in sunny Italy, I most respectfully suggest that you are missing the all important yearly climatological and sartorial seasons of Indian Summer and Sprummer.
Most sincerely,
Midwestern Fabber

Seriously, I have recently discovered that I, like Suz, am a serial, seasonal capsule maker. Well, actually my capsules are rather amorphous and large, but they're definitely there. For a long time, I thought I was not on team wear because I would stockpile items -- for example, the cozy cowl neck sweater I just purchased. Then I realized --- that sweater is for my deep winter capsule. If I wear it now, I'll be tired of it my March, when I finally move into my Spring capsule, consisting of brighter color in a warmer package. Following Spring (or cool Spring) is Sprummer, then High Summer, Indian Summer (warm autumn) and Deep Autumn. Within each 6-10 week period I will wear a loosely defined portion of my wardrobe. For example, we are now in Deep Autumn. I'm wearing booties and light jackets, but will home off on tall boots and woolens until Thanksgiving, at least, unless I need to walk unprotected outside below freezing.

Anyone else for adding seasons? For big, messy, climatological capsules?

Dressing

38 replies

Latest reply was from Beth Ann

LACeleste

Veteran

I liked your note and love the phrase "climatological capsules". I'm still scrambling to figure out capsules for in-between weather!

Beth Ann

Veteran

LaC: I love inbetween weather, despite the fact that I live in Chicago! 50-70 F is my forte (to keep musical as well as weather analogies going). I have far more difficulty with hot/cold weather dressing!

I lived in LA for about 4 years -- San Gabriel Valley. I remember 40 degrees swings from 6am to 12noon. This definitely poses a challenge to dressing!

Thistle

Veteran

Sing it sister!!!

Sincerely,
Another Midwestern Fabber

Lyn D.

Veteran

I hear you Beth Ann!
Melbourne Australia is known for its' 4 seasons in 1 day weather.
At the moment we are in limbo with 'Sprinter'- lots of rain and STILL cold.
So hard to dress as I look longingly at my unworn short sleeved tops mocking me.

Astrid

Veteran

Beth Ann, it's the very reverse for me - I hate the time when you go out in the morning and freeze, are sweating in the middle of the day when the sun comes out only to freeze again coming home... I try to layer but honestly, I can't cope with weather like that with the stuff that I have. I prefer consistent temperatures. I sometimes think we don't have seasons at all anymore, the weather is just that confusing. Last year it was so warm on Christmas there were people at Church wearing T-shirts and we were well below freezing in the middle of the day at Easter.

AviaMariah

Veteran

One of my aha moments happened when I realized I bought clothes for high summer and high winter and then tried to make them work in all seasons. No wonder I was frustrated with my closet half the year as I either froze or sweated.

Day Vies

Veteran

You had to know some how that Vivaldi is my favorite composer. (And I can't say that I have a wide depth of knowledge about classical music) Concerto in G minor, La Notte is my favorite.
Seasonal capsules -- which is the reason I'm here I can say I'm too emotional and impulsive to have that much restraint. If I find the proportion of an off season piece is perfect I'll wear it.

Beth Ann

Veteran

DV: I think it's my craving for variety that causes me to make seasonal mini-wardrobes. I do wear some items across seasons -- my BF's for example --- but I haven't even pulled out my warmest blazers yet because I'll be bored to tears of them by March if I do. This "seasonal fatigue" occurs mostly in High Summer and True Winter. Because I run warm, I think "transitional" wardrobe items are most versatile for me, despite our climate.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh, you know I am singing in this chorus!

I understand completely. I never, ever fully understood this until I joined YLF. I simply flailed and fumed during these transitional times in guilt (about not-wearing items I'd bought for the supposed season at hand) or else complete confusion (at not having the necessary items for the conditions I was actually living through.) Argh!

So yes....bootie season. Goes from late September/ early to mid-October (depending) through to December (or snow, whichever comes first). That's here in Kingston, anyway. Boot season goes from November to ...well...who knows? April? Usually..though the booties come back in sometimes on dry days and more often starting in March.

Then there are the various weights of knitwear. Right now I am wearing the thin, not wool knitwear or the light merino, without layering. Later, I add the layers and/or the cashmere.

The jeggings I keep studiously in the cupboard until boot season. The bootlegs get their infrequent outings in dry conditions NOW.

And on and on it goes. For now, I'm wearing a light trench as a coat...sometimes on its own and sometimes over a blazer or sweater. A week from now, who knows? The wool coats are waiting in the closet.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

ETA: I have exactly the same feeling about needing variety in deep winter (and to a lesser extent in high summer/ Indian summer.) So I have decided that buying a few items at the mid-season sales for winter (especially) and even summer is going to be part of my budget and an accepted/ acceptable splurge, going forward.

Beth Ann

Veteran

Exactly, Suz! This year I'm still hoping for a new pair of taller boots, but I'm not settling for something I don't love! I'm all for mid-season refreshment!

And yes, I stay in light jackets and coats as long as possible! Of course, doing most of my travel by car helps!

Gaylene

Veteran

Oh, I hear the music loud and clear.

In Alberta, we have a phenomena called the Chinook which can turn deep winter (-30C/-22F) to spring (22C/70F) in less than a day. It's not uncommon to see people shivering in heavy parkas and snow boots one week and then sitting in an outdoor cafe in shirt sleeves a week later. Oh, and should I mention our tendencies to have at least one full-flung, major blizzard in late May and another in mid October just to remind everyone Mother Nature is in charge. One year we skiied from October until June--and the next year we rode our bikes around town at Christmas, looking at the lights. I've had flights delayed for de-icing in both August and June last year.

Needless to say, there is no such thing as packing away seasonal gear in my neck of the woods. I can wear light summer jackets and wool scarves in any month of the year. What is this thing called "seasons" anyway?

catgirl

Veteran

I wish! I have two climate oriented sections of my wardrobe: winter and vacation. Within that, gradations like late-summer winter, fall-winter, holiday-winter, deep solstice winter, doldrums winter, is it over yet winter, and no-it's-not winter. Hmm, maybe I need more boots and jackets.

catgirl

Veteran

Gaylene, we get the Chinook too! And then it gets icy and wet and feels tropical.

Gaylene

Veteran

Una, I must have hit a couple of unusual years, because I remember Anchorage as being surprisingly warm, dare I say even hot, in June and July. Maybe it was just the endless sun that messed with my head. But the weather could turn pretty quickly, especially when we were camped at higher elevations.

Beth Ann

Veteran

Gaylene: The jet stream often carries your weather all the way to Chicago! Of course, you get to preview it first, so don't say Americans can't be considerate!

Oh, Una: Winter shouldn't arrive before Thanksgiving, and should depart on February 15, or when the chocolate is gone. Barring that, I vote for at least 2 winter vacations, with the wardrobe to support it!

Gaylene

Veteran

Ah, yes, I did forget to mention the rivers of icy, slushy crud in my tirade. So much fun to step off the curb, only to discover that the snow on top is hiding a foot of icy, slushy crud that pours into your boot. And then a car drives by...

Adelfa

Veteran

I have my own personal seasons! Today I was alternating between chills brought on by a sinus infection and sudden Fall temperatures, and hot flashes. Or were those the sinus infection too? One thing I know, pullovers aren't working very well for me right now

catgirl

Veteran

Oh, Gaylene! And then when that slush freezes and makes impossibly lumpy icy terrain where ankles get twisted.

The summers can get warm...and the days are long. But the season itself it short. When did you live here?

Gaylene

Veteran

Beth Ann, I'm voting to put you in charge of climate control for all of us north of the 40th parallel. I particularly like your delineation of Winter lasting from Thanksgiving (the American date, not the Canadian one in early October!) until the middle of February. That would be about right. We then could nicely move into Wintspring which could feature sunny skies and slightly cool weather perfect for skiing and other hearty outdoor activities that require copious amounts of hot chocolate and doughnuts (see, I am Canadian!) Then on to Spring with gamboling lambs and daffodills, followed by Sprummer, High Summer, Indian Summer, and finally, Deep Autumn.

As long as you took over from Mother Nature, we could have perfect wardrobes for each of these seasons.

ETA: Una, I was in Whitehorse in the mid 90s for a year doing some contract work for the Government. The winters can be awfully long, though, and so we decided to move back south when my contract was finished. But I could certainly see why someone told me that, if I didn't leave within three years, I'd never want to live south of the 60th parallel again. We still make our way back every few years; my Norwegian husband has relatives in Palmer who emigrated there in the 30s from Minnesota.

unfrumped

Veteran

I think that is a great realization and way to focus. I've been doing more of that approach. For example, I have cashmere sweaters in various colors,and I could wear them evenly spread out, but I like saving the pinky lavender for cold spring, and wearing a lot more berries and red in winter.
I think it helps shopping focus. I might have collected too many gray tops , but really they're all different weights and depth of color. So I have fall and
mild winter and freezing, and springy gray.
But another thing I noticed is that I think I like to go on a " run" of items and repeat variations over a few weeks- a kind of capsule thing- maybe more than pulling out a top to wear once every month or every other month throughout the year. It has to do
with seasonality, but also with getting " into" how to wear the item or items. So it's not just a temperature or seasonal cycle, but a styling cycle. That seems to agree with me more than random mix & match throughout the year.

For shopping decisions, the mini -seasons helps because I can evaluate by weight- warmth and color and say, do I have too much depth in my cold winter capsule(s)? This summer I realized I was underestimating the duration of our warm weather. I run cold, but still do not wear long sleeves or sticky fabrics and so just needed more variety and depth in warm- weather tops for work. But if using your transitional seasons, I might use color or texture so that some
evoke sprummer or barely fall, rather than all scream summer. Also have aimed jewelry to that effect.

Neel

Veteran

We have four seasons too - Less Hot, Hot, Very Hot, Super Hot (with about 4 days of rain in a year which could be just about anytime of the year). Bummer!

I miss all the beautiful colors of the seasons! I am a nature person and the climate really sucks I can't wait for the *less hot* season to arrive. Whatever, atleast it makes dressing easier with no worries of serious capsule making *Says the Grumpy Middle Easterner*

Beth Ann

Veteran

I'm in, Gaylene! And I love Spring skiing, even when it's icy!

Adelfa --- I so here you on "personal seasons." I'm not helped by a frugal hubby (just bought a pair of leopard print slippers, though) who keeps it at 62, and a college administrator who controls the thermostat so she is reminded of her childhood in Costa Rica. And I teach in a 6 X 10 studio with no window and one one air intake. Sripping in voice lessons is frowned upon! See, I have indoor seasons, too!

Una -- There should be an ordinance against lumpy ice. I'm fortunate to have a fastidious DH who makes sure the walk and drive are clean to the pavement. He also clears off and warms up my car in the morning --- a tough task with no garage! This almost makes up for his stinginess with the heating!

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I totally agree. My recent capsule ideas have been based on 8 'seasons', and I'm not even sure that that gives enough variation in some of the mini weather moments.

Anonymous

I'm so with you here in the heartland. We are in mid autumn yet and I need to save the boots, wools and down for winter. I've embraced Suz's seasons and about every two months make a big change of wardrobe items based on weight and color. I wish I had the time to make this all into neat capsules and hope in time to do that.

Adelfa

Veteran

Oh dear. I'm getting jealous of all you fabbers who can make capsules for eight seasons. It sounds so fun! Here in Central California I can define four seasons, of course not as differentiated as yours. But in coastal SoCal? There will be very little variation year round! However we (I was born there) make up for it by pretending we have seasons, trotting out the boots all together by mind reading. Also if the temp drops to 66 we describe it as "quite chilly" and recommend a heavy coat (this is actually true)

Windchime

Veteran

Hmmm...I wonder how Vivaldi would have organized "The (Four) Seasons" if he'd lived in the midwest instead of sunny, temperate Italy?!
I created my first capsule in late August (inspired by YLF). I called it "fall" and figured I'd need three others to get through the year. It turned out that I couldn't wear half of it until a couple of weeks ago; it was too warm. I've rethought my capsule seasons and am now planning for:
Late summer/early fall
Late fall/early winter (what I'm currently using)
Bleak midwinter (coldest stretch of winter; about two months here)
Late winter/early spring
Late spring/early summer
Midsummer
I expect to retain about half of each capsule at every seasonal change, changing out the rest of it for warmer or cooler clothing. Even with all these capsule varieties, I'm still relying on adding and/or removing layers to be comfortable.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Ha ha, Adelfa, your "quite chilly" in LA would be my "quite warm" here in Ontario....almost sandal weather!!

Beth Ann

Veteran

Unfrumped: crossposted! I love you term "styling cycle," and you've hit on something valuable here. The seasonal change is a device that ecourages us to go into "styling cycles" with out items, preventing boredom and facilitating experimentation. And yes, I consciously purchase a couple sleeveless tops in autumnal colors, and a few brights like magenta in warm fabrications for spring. Of course, sometimes one needs magenta in the dead of winter!

Joy --- I'm a KU grad, so I know your climate pretty well ----- at least Spring arrived a little earlier than in Chicago!

Adelfa -- I lived in the Valley (um. not that one. San Gabriel Valley), and remember quite a mountain climate. For 3 years I lived in pool house in Arcadia with one room (plus bathroom) and nothing but a space heater. I could see my breath in the morning, but it would be 80 degrees by noon! I LOVED the flowers in winter, but missed, even more than fall folliage, the deep blue green of midwestern grass and the tall trees. Oh --- and I might skip the heavy coat, but I'd be all over boots! Never give up boots!

Windchime: That's the spirit! Sounds like your well on your way to seasonal capsules! And we were spoiled with warm weather this autumn (although Halloween is being rained out as we speak).

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